Two rebels killed in clash with security forces in Chechnya

Two rebels were reportedly killed overnight in a clash with security forces in Chechnya.

According to Russia's Regional Command for Operations in the North Caucasus, a rebel gang, several dozen members strong, attempted to thrust into the village of Avtury, in Chechnya's Shali District.

The rebels wanted to replenish their food stocks, but were spotted, and the republican president's Security Service, in collaboration with federal units, launched an offensive against them. Two of the gang members were killed while the others managed to escape, Regional Command spokespeople report. They say that operations are currently underway in the Shali District to track down the gang members still at large.